Fresh after his adventures with the Titans, Crash Bandicoot is at it again! Sierra Entertainment has announced Crash Bandicoot: Mind Over Mutant, where Crash has to save his friends from Neo Cortex, who's back with a new device of ultimate evil... and can send out text messages too. Details and screenshots in the full article.

Sierra and Radical Entertainment's Crash of Titans (Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS, PSP) is the fourteenth game in the Crash Bandicoot series and has quite a few novel features that fans will enjoy. The one addition that stands out the most though is Crash's new ability called "jacking."

Some of the larger enemies (titans, as they're called) can be jacked by Crash to make them do his bidding. While it may seem like a no-brainer to just keep taking over opponents, it is very important to choose the right titan for each stage. To help you make your decision, here are some facts (with screenshots) about each one:

The first enemy on the list is the Ratcicle, one of the biggest assets of Neo Cortex's mutant army. After you jack it, you gain the Freeze Punks ability which launches two ice beams that will freeze anything it hits. The unit is listed with a threat level of three out of a maximum of five making it a good all around mount. 

  

The second titan - Scorporilla - looks like a cross between a scorpion and a gorilla (duh!). Rumor has it that even Neo Cortex feels nervous when around these behemoths. While jacking one of these creatures is no easy task, it is well worth the effort. The special ability this mount gives Crash is called Ground and Pound, a move which has your new best friend pounding the island with both hands sending a dust cloud at your foes. No one will question the fact that it is rated at a threat level of four out of five.

  

The rest of the titans, their bios, and screenshots in the full article!

Buy: [Crash of the Titans (Xbox 360)]
Buy: [Crash of the Titans (Nintendo Wii)]
Buy: [Crash of the Titans (PSP)]
Buy: [Crash of the Titans (Nintendo DS]

Crash may be the naughty and fun-loving critter that we love for most of the time, but there are times in a video game character's life when he has to stop, think seriously and take the side of the angels in a noble cause. He's set to stop Dr. Neo Cortex in Crash of the Titans on the Microsoft Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS, Sony PlayStation Portable and mobile platforms later this year but before he does, he's got more important things in mind.

Crash is currently involved in the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's School & Youth program which aims to raise awareness and support from America's youngsters about various blood cancers. He'll be appearing in posters, leaflets and different activities to drum up the campaign and get help where it's needed.

If you haven't heard, Crash has been part of the same movement before. Last year, the Society and Vivendi Games have joined forces in a similar plight and ended up with US$ 18 million in funds to donate to research institutions. They hope to top that this year by bringing in more kids to the scene.

Vivendi's executive vice president of Human Resources expressed the company's sense of honor in the part they are playing to fight blood diseases and said, "Crash is a bandicoot with a big heart; he’s brave, he’s loyal and he’s always ready for a good fight and a great cause. We feel this is a winning combination for a tremendous cause."

Crash Bandicoot is one of the most popular platform-type video game franchises of all time, selling more than 35 million copies of its games ever since its field day in 1996.

Now, we've got some talent right here. As an assignment for school, the artist Jeff C. had to do something that he's never done before, and then create a piece of art based on that experience. So what he did was line up for a Wii and then sit down with Illustrator afterwards.

Though the experience was a Wii launch, the piece pretty much summarizes the launch for the PS3 as well, and perhaps even the Xbox 360 launch back in 2005.

Looking at this piece of art, it seems that Crash Bandicoot and Wario have made it to the front of the line and got their consoles early, while our favorite Street Fighters, along with Cloud, got pelted with eggs while they slept in their sleeping bags and tent (at least it wasn't pellets from a BB gun).

Meanwhile, Otacon's sleeping bag is making my head spin, while Black Mage and Kirby are probably nuking it out on ad-hoc mode on their DS Lites. You might also notice that Mario and Luigi may have taken too long saving Princess Toadstool and the rest of the Mushroom Kingdom, that's why they ended up at the back of the line. Awww.

In any case, with a piece of work like this, we'd love to have the artist paint this on our office wall as a mural, or at least turn it into a frame which would pretty much summarize and commemorate the year 2006 in the world of video games. Oh, and this guy had better get an "A+" for this...

In addition to having a built-in fanny pack and stylin' orange fur, Crash Bandicoot">Crash Bandicoot has quite a lot going for him. For one, the latest Crash game, Crash Boom Bang, just got released in Japan last month, and those lucky Crash fans who already have the game are enjoying themselves silly.

For those who have yet to wait for the game to appear in their favorites stores, fret not, for we have right here a gameplay video of Crash Boom Bang just for your enjoyment. It's not the game itself, but hey, it might take your minds off the wait.

Enjoy folks!